“‘Gaucho Americano’ is first and foremost a human adventure, a documentary with cowboys, magnificent landscapes, sacrifices and humor,” Molina explains in a statement of what is his third feature film.
The film was shot in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming (USA) and Chilean Patagonia in the Aysén region for six months, and tells the story of Joaquin and Victor, Patagonian gauchos who are hired as harriers on a ranch in the western United States to care for thousands of sheep.
The production is by Joséphine Schroeder and Marcela Santibañez, the first Chilean producer nominated for an Academy Award for “El agente Topo” -directed by Maite Alberdi – in the category of best documentary.
For Schroeder, “American Gaucho” exposes “the challenge of adapting to a different culture”, while Santibañez emphasizes that from Chile they are telling “unique but universal stories”.
In the same vein, CinemaChile’s director, Constanza Arena, sees in the selection of “American Gaucho” for Hot Docs and in the nomination of “The Mole Agent” confirmation of the “great moment that the Chilean documentary is having this 2021”.
Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary festival, will be held from April 20 to May 9.
